Methods, apparatuses and medicaments for treating body fluid related diseases

Abstract

This invention relates to two methods treating such disease as AIDS. The first method includes administering the Trigger Factor such as TNF, which is defined as substance stimulating infected cells to increase HIV replication and hence subjecting the infected cells to death or the programmed death (apoptosis), further administering new-infection suppressor such as AZT and preferably inducer to migrate infected cells (lymphocytes) to the blood system from the lymphatic system, and then continuing extinction of the replicated HIVs by extracorporeal blood processing until all the infected cells die. The second method includes administering electroconductive and/or magnetic microparticles on the surface whereon of which such infectiously adhesive substance to HIVs and infected cells as CD4 is coated, and killing HIVs/infected cells adhered to the microparticles by heating the microparticles with electromagnetic field (wave) applied externally to the patient.

We claim:  
     
       1. A method for treating a body fluid related disease in a body where a retrovirus is present in the body fluid and in cells infected by the retrovirus, comprising the steps of: 
       administering as a Trigger Factor a substance that stimulates the region of proliferation control in the retrovirus in an infected cell to increase proliferation rate, shorten cell life, and cause transition from an asymptomatic period to a symptomatic period, to induce death of the infected cells,  
       withdrawing the body fluid,  
       extracorporeally processing the withdrawn body fluid to kill, inactivate, or remove the pathogenic microorganisms and preferably the infected cells present in the body fluid, and  
       reinfusing the processed body fluid  
       wherein the Trigger Factor is administered either prior to or in parallel with the withdrawing and processing steps.  
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the retrovirus is an HIV. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the processing step includes extra corporeally processing the body fluid as a whole. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  where the processing step includes separating the body fluid into fractions based on at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of size, shape, mass, electromagnetic characteristics, thermal characteristics, and electrochemical characteristics. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  further comprising the steps of: 
       further processing the withdrawn body fluid to replace the body fluid fraction containing the microorganism and infected cells with a healthy body fluid fraction, and  
       recombining the processed fractions of body fluid and unprocessed fractions of body fluid for reinfusion.  
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2  where the infected cell is a CD4 (positive) cell selected from the group consisting of T4 Helper lymphocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells, into which the RNA of the HIV has been transcribed and inserted as a provirus; 
       wherein the body fluid is a fluid selected from the group consisting of blood, lymphatic fluid and cerebrospinal fluid; and  
       wherein the Trigger Factor is a substance selected from the group consisting of a biochemical substance and a medicament.  
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  where the biochemical substance stimulates the provirus in the infected cell to replicate actively, subjects the infected cell to programmed death, and promotes a transition from a latent period to the AIDS related complex (ARC) period. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  where the biochemical substance is a substance selected from the group consisting of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and anti-Fas antibody. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6  where the medicament subjects the infected cell to death while differentiating infected from healthy cells, but is not adequate to treat AIDS due to stimulated HIV replication during the period prior to death. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 2  further comprising administering a chemical agent to inhibit or suppress new infection of healthy cells by HIV. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the chemical agent is selected from the group consisting of soluble CD4 to inhibit infectious adhesion; AZT, ddI and ddC to inhibit reverse transcription and a medicament that inhibits release of replicated HIV from the infected cell. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 2  further comprising raising the temperature of the body to inhibit or suppress new infection of healthy cells by HIV. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  also including the step of raising the body temperature by administering a fever raising microorganism. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12  also including the step of raising the body temperature by administering biochemical agents induced by microorganisms selected from the group consisting of malaria and typhoid. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12  also including a step of raising the body temperature by the application of external sources of heat where the sources are selected from the group consisting of hyperthermia or blood heating. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of: 
       removing and neutralizing any reagents added and toxic substances generated during the processing.